Equity Summit Videos

Opening Plenary, America’s Tomorrow: Equity As The Superior Growth Model_PANEL ONLY

Opening Plenary, America’s Tomorrow: Equity as the Superior Growth Model (Wed., Nov 9)

As the majority of Americans soon will be people of color, this fascinating discussion reframed the case for equity by addressing how we must respond to and invest in this demographic change.

Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and CEO, PolicyLink (moderator) Panelists: Geoffrey Canada, President and CEO, Harlem Children’s Zone; Shaun Donovan, United States Secretary for Housing and Urban Development; Antonio Gonzalez, President, William C. Velasquez Institute; Manuel Pastor, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California; Joan Walsh, Editor-at-Large, Salon.com.

The panel was preceded by Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences Show Choir

(Video begins at approx. 50 second mark)

Lunch Plenary, A World of Change: Lessons From Across the Globe (Wed., Nov 9)

Expand your horizons as a panel of international experts places the U.S. equity movement into a global context. Groundbreaking action abroad can spark creative ideas and new directions at home. Who are the effective champions for equity internationally? What challenges have they confronted? What lessons can we apply to accelerate efforts domestically? Learn about innovative approaches and strategies to build opportunity-rich communities in various nations, and about the framing, arguments, and constituencies that have proven critical for success.

Panel was moderated by Maya Harris, Vice President, Ford Foundation; featured Tralance Addy, Founder and President, Plebys International; Alejandro Echeverri Restrepo, Architect, Medellin, Colombia; and Jody Heymann, Founding Director of the Institute for Health and Social Policy, the WORLD Global Data Centre, and the Project on Global Working Families, McGill University

(Video begins at approx. 14 second mark)

Morning Plenary, Bring It On: Politics, Power, and Equity (Thur., Nov. 10)

Race, poverty, and equity are always difficult topics for candidates, and in today’s contentious political environment, highlighting and advancing equity-focused policies may seem like a Herculean task. Join a timely conversation about the political hot buttons for 2012, and strategies for pursuing an equity agenda. Hear leaders from across the country describe how to navigate campaign battles and partisan rancor to make sure the needs and aspirations of low-income communities and communities of color advance.

Panel was moderated by PolicyLink President Judith Bell, featured Derek Douglas, Special Assistant to Domestic Policy Adviser, White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC); Maria Teresa Kumar, Voto Latino; Nelini Stamp, organizer from the Occupy Wall Street Movement; and Steve Phillips, President and Founder, PowerPAC.

(Video begins at approx. 52 second mark)

Closing Plenary (Thur., Nov. 10)

The summit closed much the way it opened: with motivation and energy to change the world we live in. The artists/activists Rha Goddess and Invincible both shared with their fellow advocates dramatic interpretations and songs of the difficult, sometimes harsh realities, faced by everyday people: from lack of transportation to destitute homes and cities. With attendees taking the stage to share their experiences, a final message shared by Nate Smith from the Atlanta delegation, summarized why everyone was there: “Equity is love in action. Never be afraid of the power of love.”

(Video begins at approx. 58 second mark)